RCW 82.12.962

Exemptions—Use of machinery and equipment in generating electricity. (Expires January 1, 2020.)

(1)(a) Except as provided in RCW 82.12.963, consumers who have paid the tax imposed by RCW 82.12.020 on machinery and equipment used directly in generating electricity using fuel cells, wind, sun, biomass energy, tidal or wave energy, geothermal resources, anaerobic digestion, technology that converts otherwise lost energy from exhaust, or landfill gas as the principal source of power, or to sales of or charges made for labor and services rendered in respect to installing such machinery and equipment, are eligible for an exemption as provided in this section, but only if the purchaser develops with such machinery, equipment, and labor a facility capable of generating not less than one thousand watts of electricity.

(b) Beginning on July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2011, the provisions of this chapter do not apply in respect to the use of machinery and equipment described in (a) of this subsection that are used directly in generating electricity or to sales of or charges made for labor and services rendered in respect to installing such machinery and equipment.

(c) Beginning on July 1, 2011, through January 1, 2020, the amount of the exemption under this subsection (1) is equal to seventy-five percent of the state and local sales tax paid. The consumer is eligible for an exemption under this subsection (1)(c) in the form of a remittance.

(2)(a) A person claiming an exemption in the form of a remittance under subsection (1)(c) of this section must pay the tax imposed by RCW 82.12.020 and all applicable local use taxes imposed under the authority of chapters 82.14 and 81.104 RCW. The consumer may then apply to the department for remittance in a form and manner prescribed by the department. A consumer may not apply for a remittance under this section more frequently than once per quarter. The consumer must specify the amount of exempted tax claimed and the qualifying purchases or acquisitions for which the exemption is claimed. The consumer must retain, in adequate detail, records to enable the department to determine whether the consumer is entitled to an exemption under this section, including: Invoices; proof of tax paid; and documents describing the machinery and equipment.

(b) The department must determine eligibility under this section based on the information provided by the consumer, which is subject to audit verification by the department. The department must on a quarterly basis remit exempted amounts to qualifying consumers who submitted applications during the previous quarter.

(3) Purchases exempt under RCW 82.08.962 are also exempt from the tax imposed under RCW 82.12.020.

(5) The exemption provided in subsection (1) of this section does not apply:

(a) To machinery and equipment used directly in the generation of electricity using solar energy and capable of generating no more than five hundred kilowatts of electricity, or to sales of or charges made for labor and services rendered in respect to installing such machinery and equipment, when first use within this state of such machinery and equipment, or labor and services, occurs after September 30, 2017; and

(b) To any other machinery and equipment described in subsection (1)(a) of this section, or to sales of or charges made for labor and services rendered in respect to installing such machinery or equipment, when first use within this state of such machinery and equipment, or labor and services, occurs after December 31, 2019.